GOP wants more from Clinton IT expert

Posted: 11:13 am Wednesday, September 21st, 2016

By Jamie Dupree

A week after an IT worker with a Colorado tech firm took the Fifth Amendment before a House committee that was investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails, Republicans demanded immediate answers over reports that Paul Combetta had basically asked the internet for help to seemingly get rid of information contained in emails from Clinton’s time as Secretary of State.

“If true, these details raise new questions as to whether Platte River Networks purposefully defied legal document retention requirements,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), who said he wants answers from Combetta and others at Platte River Networks, which helped deal with Clinton’s email server.

“The timing of the post (July 2014) coincides with when the Select Committee on Benghazi asked Secretary Clinton to turn over her emails,” Meadows said on Twitter.

While Republicans were again pressing Combetta and others to tell their story to Congress, GOP lawmakers were also preparing to find another Clinton IT aide in Contempt of Congress, after Bryan Pagliano ignored a subpoena last week to appear before the House Oversight Committee.

Pagliano was again invited to appear before lawmakers on Thursday – if he does not, then Republicans made clear they are ready to find him in Contempt of Congress.

Of course, even if someone is found in Contempt of Congress, they cannot be compelled to testify.

One recent example would be that of Lois Lerner, who was a key figure in the IRS Tea Party Targeting matter – Lerner was found in contempt by the full House of Representatives, but has never broken her silence.